Project: Rapunzel
by Webspinner
Summary: A modern day fairy tale. Jean finds her world is turned upside down when she discovers she's a mutant. It's worse when her own parents are part of Friends of Humanity. Scott/Jean pairing ***Epilogue *** Review please
1. A Normal Day

Title: Project: Rapunzel  
  
By: Web Spinner  
  
Notes: This is an alternate universe type story I guess. I have given Jean a different last name to begin with; it'll change to Grey later in the story. I hope you enjoy it and please review or email me!  
  
"Jean, hurry up you're going to be late!" my mother's warning rang though the house. I sighed and gave my hair one last good brush stroke. I glanced in the mirror. A smiling red head looked back at me. I checked my makeup one last time before running out of the bathroom and grabbing my things. My mother was waiting at the foot of the stairs for me. She was dressed for work already in her flawless white lab coat that looked like it had a bath in starch before my mother put it on. Her fading red hair was put back in a prim bun and cute little glasses rested on the tip of her nose. My mother was very pretty even though she doesn't admit. My daddy always tells her so anyway. My dad was trying to jam as many sheets of paper in a briefcase with a piece of toast still in his mouth and a coffee cup in his hand. It was quite a comical scene actually.  
  
"Bye princess, have fun today," my dad said and kissed me on the forehead (after removing the toast of course) and ran out of the door. I followed my mom and loaded into her station wagon. I am hoping my parents are going to buy me a car for my eighteenth birthday that is coming up soon. I already know what I want, a blue convertible or a white beetle. I glanced down the streets at my picturesque neighborhood. It's the kind of neighbor hood you see in the movies, with a shaded road and lined with cute houses with well- trimmed lawns that look perfect even in winter.  
  
"So when are you going to bring that young man of yours around again?" asked my mother.  
  
"Duncan?" I asked a bit shocked.  
  
"Do you have more then one?" she asked with a smile.  
  
"But Daddy hates him," I reminded her.  
  
"That's only because he doesn't like to see you grow up. Duncan's a charming young man, I am sure you dad will grow very fond of him," predicted Cynthia Peterson. "I really doubt that," I mumbled. I had Duncan over at my house for dinner one day. After Duncan left my father announced that Duncan was the stupidest dumb jock he had ever seen in his life (this is the shortened version, daddy couldn't find one good thing about Duncan at all) Duncan wasn't the top student at school I'll admit but he's the star football player and he treats me good. We pulled up to the school and I slipped a quick kiss on my mom's check before getting out. I know it's childish to show much affection towards your parents when you're a teenager but I can't help it. It's sort of a good habit I never got out of. I walked to my locker but not without a couple of dozen wolf calls following me down the halls. I smiled.  
  
"Hey JEEEAAANNN!" yelled out a high-pitched voice. I had to stop myself from wincing. A bubbly blonde immediately attached herself on my arm.  
  
"Hello, Cookie," I said dryly. Now I try to put into practice the golden rule of treating others how I want to be treated but this girl could try the patience of a saint. "You'll never guess who like asked me out," she giggled at me.  
  
"Brad Pitt?" I asked trying not to smile. " Like I wish!" she giggled even louder. "I wouldn't wish that on him unless he had a life time of insulin," came a voice from a nearby locker. A short girl with short brown hair grabbed her books and stuffed them in her book bag. I couldn't help but grin. You'd need it for Cookie's fake sugary sweetness that just oozed out of her. Cookie's smile froze on her face and she turned to the girl icily. "I don't know what you just said, nerd but watch it," she said and stalked off.  
  
"At least I'm not named after a dessert," snickered the girl. It took me a minute to place her, Diana Ryan, who was in honors program with me. I couldn't help but laughing. "Thank you, I owe you one," I managed to say after laughing so hard. Diana looked really amused.  
  
"Yeah I figured," she said with a shrug.  
  
"So how did you think about Anderson's test yesterday?" I asked. She let out a big groan.  
  
"If I have to endure one more of those exams he cleverly disguised as tests I am going to scream," she said with a wink. I was about to say something more about our evil math teacher when a felt a strong arm wrap around me.  
  
"Hey Baby," said Duncan and kissed my neck. Diana rolled her eyes and walked away.  
  
"Get a room" I heard her say. Duncan apparently didn't and squeezed me tighter. We talked a bit and parted ways as the bell rang.  
  
"Good Morning, West Ridge High School!" came our principal's voice over the intercom. The class groaned in unison at the cheeriness in his voice. No body should be that cheerful this early in the morning and on a Monday when the end of the week was too far away yet.  
  
"Our Lady Hawks soccer team crushed Oak High school last night 20 to 4. Many of the goals where made by our star player, Jean Peterson!" said the principal. I couldn't help but blush a bit as the students around me cheered and congratulated me.  
  
"Band Tryouts will be held at 2:00 instead of at 1:00. A reminder to students, work done in invisible ink will not be accepted," the students snickered and giggled. I stared at of the window and wondered how long the principal was going to ramble. "Inoculations will be given in the health lab from 9 to 3. All students ranging from sophomore to Senior must be present. Only those with signed notes from both their parents and doctor will be excused. Any student found skipping would have suspension for 10 days," said the principal.  
  
"Aww that's harsh!" said a guy behind her.  
  
"I don't want to get a shot!" whined a girl.  
  
"Is this over yet?"  
  
"She looks hot, maybe if I ask her out on a date, she'd go with me."  
  
"Oh my gosh, I wonder like how long this is going to be? I have to get to that sale today!" The voices combined into a roar making it impossible for me to hear anything else  
  
"JUST BE QUIET!" I stood up and yelled. The teacher and students looked blankly at her with shock clearly written on their faces.  
  
"Now Miss. Peterson, that's no reason you need to yell at the intercom like that," said the teacher. I looked at him puzzled. Wasn't everyone just talking a minute ago?  
  
"I am sorry, Mr. C. It seems I am getting a headache. May I be excused?" I asked. "The nurses will probably be busy with the inculcations today but I am sure one would take time to get you an aspirin," my teacher said as he wrote out a hall pass and handed to me. I took it and my book bag and left the class. That had been too freaky for my taste. I walked down the hall toward the health clinic and rubbed my forehead. It had started to pound. 


	2. Betrayed

Title: Project: Rapunzel  
  
Chapter: 2  
  
By: Web Spinner  
  
~Jean~  
  
The halls were amazingly quiet as I walked down to the health clinic. The pounding in my head became worse. My shoes clicked against the tiled floor in an annoying rhythm that agitated my headache. As I rounded a corner into the main wing of the school, I noticed the line of students lined up to get their shots. None of them looked too happy about it either. I waved to a few familiar faces as I made my way up the door. A nurse who looked like she had just swallowed a lemon glared at me.  
  
"In the back of the line!" she barked.  
  
"Look all I need is an aspirin," I said trying to hide my annoyance.  
  
"Back of the line, young lady," she snapped.  
  
"For an aspirin?" I asked in disbelief and looked at the line. She nodded and ushered the next unfortunate student into the clinic. I huffed and made back in the line. I rubbed my temples trying to get rid of the headache that was hitting me like a migraine. "So those Nazis kick you back here with us?" asked Diana who happened to ahead of me. I nodded.  
  
"All I wanted was an aspirin," I said and leaned against the wall. Diana nodded with sympathy.  
  
"Looks like you'll get an aspirin and the shot too. Fun, huh?" Diana asked as she tucked a long strand of hair behind her ear.  
  
"Nothing I'd rather be doing," I answered with sarcasm. She beamed at me.  
  
"So what's it for anyway? Anthrax?" asked one guy behind me.  
  
"I dunno, you need it before you can enter college," I said.  
  
"Some suspicious crap if you ask me. They're not saying much," Diana answered with a shrug.  
  
"Hey maybe it's some secret government to plan to pick up freaks like you," snickered a football player named Daryl. Diana rolled her eyes.  
  
"Yeah maybe nerdy Di is a mutant!" snickered one guy as he stretched the corners of his mouth to make a stupid looking face.  
  
"You know you ought to keep your face like that. It might just crack that Halloween mask you wear for a face," Diana said dryly. The boy making the face ducked away as his companions roared with laughter. Soon they were at the beginning of the line with people streaming behind them. I tried my best to control my beating heart. Needles had always made me nervous. As a child, I had nightmares about being poked and probed with needles and other evil tools associated with doctors. It was a stupid phobia but I have never gotten over it.  
  
"Jean, you look like your going to faint," Diana stated with a worried frown.  
  
"I am fine. I just want to get this over and done with. I don't like needles,' I told her. I closed my eyes and leaned against the wall.  
  
'What do ya know? Jean is not so perfect' Diana said. My eyes shot open. "What?" I demanded. Diana looked at me blankly.  
  
"I didn't say anything, geez girl you must really need that aspirin," she whistled. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.  
  
"I am sorry," I said as Diana was shuffled into the room. I noticed Daryl and the other guy leaving looking quite green. I was ushered into the room next. The health clinic wasn't very big at all. To one side were an examination table and a scale. To the other end of the room there was a cabinet and a sink. There was a small closet where crutches and supplies were stored. Two chairs had been placed in the room. Next to them was a small table covered with band-aids, shots and containers of translucent amber liquid. Diana was just finished getting injected when I sat down.  
  
"Don't worry, it's not to bad. At least it's not in your rear," she laughed but then winced as the nurse pulled the needle out.  
  
"Your outlook on this makes me feel a whole lot better," I said gloomily. My stomach felt like it was going to come out of throat. The nurse rolled up my sleeve and rubbed it with alcohol. I concentrated on the departing form of Diana. She had reached the door and started telling everyone how awful the shot had been and that the needle was twelve inches long and they wiggled it once they stuck it in you. Her efforts were rewarded with some students turning very sickly looking. With a smug look on her face, she was escorted out by an angry nurse.  
  
"I just need an aspirin," I told the nurse. She placed one in my hand with a cup of water. I swallowed the pill quickly and took a swig of water. Then I caught a grimace of the needle and almost spewed water everywhere. I don't think Diana was over exaggerating that much. I turned my head as the nurse stuck it in me and started counting the tiles on the floor. I don't know when she pulled it out but she suddenly pushed me out the door and called for the next student. I felt dazed and sidestepped a bit. I shook my head and went to my next class. I never made it. My vision suddenly went black and I felt myself falling but I don't remember hitting the floor.  
  
~ Diana~  
  
The nurse was giving me a good lecture on lying. It was amusing and I was enjoying it. She was getting madder and telling me to wipe the grin from my face. I waved the nurse away and turned to my locker. Gym was next. I abhor gym. So you can hit a ball, big woop. I caught sight of Jean making her way down the hall. It's hard to miss her with that red hair of hers. She acts like a princess but she's not a snob. But right now she was acting drunk. She was staggering and fell to the floor.  
  
"Oh my gosh! Someone help!" I screamed. People stopped what they were doing but none moved to help.  
  
"Take her to the office at once," said a nurse grimly. What happened next I'll never know for sure. All the lockers through open and the papers swirled though the air like a big wind had caught them. From out of the crowd Duncan appeared and scooped Jean in his arms. For once I was glad she was in love with such a big ox. I kept right along with Duncan taking two steps for his one. I envied people with long legs at times. The office was abuzz and we were ushered into an empty office.  
  
"Wait here, both of you. Do not move from this spot," commanded a secretary. Poor Jean must have had a reaction to the shot. Her eyes fluttered open.  
  
"Where am I?" she asked. "Hey Red, you fainted," said Duncan as he helped Jean sit up.  
  
"Oh, that was some weird crap," mumbled Jean looking still slightly dazed.  
  
~ Jean~  
  
I rested my head against Duncan's chest as we waited in the office. I wasn't sure what was going on. Diana was telling a few jokes mostly to keep the mood light. They were very poor jokes but I didn't mind. The door finally opened after an eternity. The principal walked in the room followed by my parents.  
  
"Mom, Dad, what are you doing here?" I asked and slowly stood up. Neither of them looked at me.  
  
"Come along Miss. Peterson," he said and grabbed my wrist. I jerked back.  
  
"What was going on?" I demanded. I was suddenly scared but not sure why. Duncan and Diana moved in front of me.  
  
"You need help, Princess," said my father for the first time.  
  
"No I just fainted. I am fine, really Daddy," I said with a puzzled look. This was too weird.  
  
"Step aside you two," commanded the principal as he removed a pair of handcuffs from his pocket. I looked at them strangely and almost laughed at the absurdity of it all. Principals just don't keep handcuffs, right?  
  
"Step aside," he bellowed at them again.  
  
"Why should we?" yelled Diana back. She was so courageous even though the principal stood at least one and half feet taller then her.  
  
"She's a mutant," he said simply like it explained it all. I laughed. Everyone looked at me strangely. I laughed harder like those locked into places for the insane. "This is a joke? Right, dad, you really got me this time," I said hopefully and grabbed on to his sleeve. He didn't look at me but jerked his arm away. I felt like he had just slapped me.  
  
"No there's a mistake," I assured them as I turned around.  
  
"It's a joke," I said again and reached out to Duncan. He pulled back as if I was a leper.  
  
"You can't believe this Duncan, you love me," I said and hugged him and buried my head in his shirt. I just wanted to hold him and for this to go away. He pried me off him.  
  
"Get away from me, freak," he hissed and left the room. I crumbled to the floor as I watched him go.  
  
"She has rights, leave her be," said Diana looking more determined.  
  
"She's a mutant, those laws don't apply," said my mother. "She's your daughter!" Diana yelled at her. I sat numbly on the ground wishing I would black out again. The principal handcuffed me.  
  
"This is for her own good," my mother assured Diana. Diana hugged me but the principal tore Diana from me.  
  
"Thank you," I said as I was led out in humiliation. Sassy Diana looked like she was about to cry. I felt like I was going to. I am a mutant. A freak. Worse then any boogie man that scared children from under their beds. I am a mutant and a freak. Students stopped what they were doing to watch me being ushered out in handcuffs. They'll probably be told I was dealing drugs or some illegal action. Their parents will shake their heads and say something like  
  
"But she was such a nice girl" Duncan won't tell what I am. Duncan wouldn't want to admit he had fallen in love with a mutant. Nobody would. 


	3. The Tower

Title: Project: Rapunzel  
  
Chapter: 3  
  
By: Web Spinner  
  
Notes: In this chapter its beginning to sound more like the fairy tale. The fairy tale of Rapunzel doesn't exist yet in this world where this fic takes place.  
  
I am not a normal teenager. No I am not talking about the whole mutant thing but I mean dealing with parents. Unlike most parents they trusted me…. until now. They didn't have to worry that I was out guzzling beer and sleeping with every male at my school. Despite some unsavory rumors, I have never done any of that. Although the peer pressure was tempting at times, I never broke their trust. I am a straight A student and the star player on the soccer team. I am also the president of the art club and yearbook club. My parents were proud of me…until now. Some guys in lab coats stuffed me into an empty van. My parents had vanished. My ankles were tied as well.  
  
"No straight jacket?" I asked. They ignored me and shut the door leaving me in darkness. I heard a click of a lock. The van started and I leaned against the wall. Tears fell down my cheeks, cool and composed Jean Peterson was now crying like a baby. I had this fact but I cried even harder until no more tears would come. I lay down on the truck's floor feeling dehydrated I closed my eyes and fell asleep. I don't know for how long I slept but when the lab coat goons opened the door it was dark. My sore muscles screamed out in protest as I was stood up. My knees buckled but the two men held me tight until I could stand again. I looked at the seven-story building that towered above me. It was made of gray stone. Electric fences topped with barbwire surrounded it. Huge lights poured down fake sunshine onto the grounds. It looked like a prison. There was no sign of my parents when I was pushed and dragged towards the building.  
  
"So here she is," said a woman in a lab coat as I was dragged into the room. The whiteness of the room hurt my eyes. My parents were there as well.  
  
"Dad, tell them to stop. I want to go home. My birthday is tomorrow, remember? Let's go home and have cake and ice cream. I promise I won't even ask for presents. Just take me home," I begged falling to my knees. I was rattling like an idiot but I was desperate. My dad turned away from me again but I could tell he was crying.  
  
"Please Mom," I turned to her but she backed away.  
  
"Honey, these people will fix you," she assured me in her calm voice.  
  
"Mr. and Mrs. Peterson, have no concerns. We will do our best to fix this unfortunate accident. Friends of Humanity thanks you for your sacrifice, but it is for the best. Both of you will be tested to make sure that none of the children that you plan to have in the future will be affected by the mutation gene. Mrs. Peterson, the raise will be on your desk in the morning promoting you to head scientist on the Feed the World project. Congratulations," she said and shook my mother's hand. I glared at the woman. "You sold me to this place for a bunch of rampion?" I screamed at her. Before this, my mother always shared her work with me. She was trying to discover a plant that would hold the most nutrition and was grown easily. She was working with rampion at the moment, which was something like lettuce or spinach. I had always been proud knowing if anyone could fix world hunger it'd be her.  
  
"Come along," said a man in a lab coat and lead my parents away.  
  
"NOO come back!" I yelled at them. I kept screaming for them to come back until my voice was horse.  
  
"Shut up," demanded the woman and hit me soundly on the back of the head. Colors distorted my vision for a minute from the blow. The woman seemed amused. She had coal black hair and even darker eyes. Her skin was a pasty white. Strands of gray ran through her hair like a silvery net. She had a face like a weasel and claw like fingers that wrapped themselves around my arm. She was amazingly strong for such a bony woman. She led me down a long colorless hallway and pushed me into a room. Hands stripped my clothes from my body and I was pushed into a cold shower. The nurses scrubbed me with harsh soap until I felt like my skin was falling off. Then they pulled the clip that had been holding my hair and my hair cascaded to my shoulders. It seemed longer, I thought. Maybe I was just going crazy. They poured foul smelling shampoo into and scrubbed my head unmercifully. Goosebumps pricked my skin as soon as I was pulled from the cold shower. After I had put my own bra and underwear on, they slipped a course sleeveless dress over my bare body. It came down to my knees and agitated my skin. I was shoved into another room. The woman, whose nametag said Ida strapped me into a set.  
  
"What are you doing?" I demanded. A drop eyed old man sat down beside me with a small machine that looked like a pen of some short. He rubbed alcohol on my arm again.  
  
"No you are not giving me another shot," I screamed at him. Ida held my arm down with bony claws. I looked away as pain seared my arm. It hit me like a wave that almost knocked the breath out of me. Ida grabbed me but the pain was crippling as she shoved me out of the room. We walked down another hallway. All of the hallways were identical here. I was led to another the room that was actually a circle. In the middle of it was cut out and guarded by an arm rail. A tower of some short shot up from the floors below that had been cut out as well. The tower was 6 feet from where the room had been cut. I leaned over the rail to see the other floors railing. I couldn't see the bottom of the tower. Ida placed her hand on a flat screen and there was faint buzz. The floor beneath us started to move. I would've jumped back but Ida held me tightly. A ramp slowly made its way to the tower. Once it reached the outer wall of the tower, a door appeared. She shoved me down the ramp into the circular tower. It was white like everything in this place that God had surly forsaken. The room was circular. There was only a small cot on a wall and a table. Both, I noticed, were bolted to the floor. There was a curtain that hid a toilet, a tiny shower and a sink. I looked at the door and licked my cracked lips.  
  
"You can't escape. I am the only one who can come and go from this tower. Your food will arrive three times a day. You make a mess and you clean it up or live in filth if you'd wish. I could care less. You have medical exams once a day. Think of me as your new mother. If you misbehave, you will be punished," Ida said as she grabbed my chin and forced me to look at her.  
  
"What are you going to do? Ground me?" I asked. I never saw the blow coming but I found my self sprawled out on the floor with my head ringing. Only then did I notice my arm. I had been tattooed. The dark letters and numbers read ZEL8948. I screamed curses at her.  
  
"You tattooed me like a Jew in the holocaust!" I yelled at her. This was insane! Of course I had read about it in history but this stuff never happened any more, until now.  
  
"Hardly. They were human. You are not. Zel8948 is your new identity. Get used to it," she spat at me. Then to my amazement, she started to laugh. It was more like a cackle that reminded me of witches you read about as a child in the fairytales.  
  
"What' s so funny?" I hissed at her.  
  
"Rapunzel, that's what we'll call you. Get it? Your mother sold you for rampion. How deliciously clever I am. Rapunzel," she laughed and left. I didn't move from where I had been knocked on the floor. Rapunzel? She had called me that. It sounded like some odd name that should have been used in a fantasy book, not here. The room only had one small window that I could easily slip out of. Maybe even fall to my death if I'd wish to. But I didn't want to die, not now, not yet. They would win if I died. There would be one less mutant on the planet. 


	4. The Meeting ~ a long chapter

Title: Project: Rapunzel  
  
Chapter: 4  
  
By: Web Spinner  
  
Notes: Yes I am a bad girl and have messed up the xmen evo timeline. Shadow Cat and Nightcrawler are already at the school.  
  
~ Scott~  
  
There was a scream that almost caused me to fall of my bed. I frowned and laid the book I had been reading to the side. I opened the door to find Kitty running squealing down the hall and Kurt in hot pursuit.  
  
"Av, come on Kiitee just one kiss," the blue furred mutant begged. Kitty laughed and stopped at the end of the hall. Kurt grinned and ran toward the young brunette girl just to have her fade into the next room. Kurt slammed into the wall.  
  
"Ovch that hurt," the German student said as he rubbed his forehead. He then disappeared. I sighed and closed the door. Xavier's school was too crazy sometimes. He was about to pick up the book when he heard Professor Xavier's voice in his mind.  
  
"Scott I need to speak with you. I am in the study." I sighed again and closed the book. To tell you the truth, it still sort of freaked me out that the professor can communicate through minds. I quickly made my way to the study. Charles Xavier motioned for me to take a seat.  
  
"What's up?" I asked as I sat down.  
  
"I need you to go get another recruit. Her name is Jean Peterson," said the professor. I nodded.  
  
"Powers?" I asked.  
  
"Telekinetic and telepathic," he replied. Ok that wasn't too bad. She'll probably never explode things or rip things up like a certain number of students around here.  
  
"Ok give me her address and I give it a try," I said with a smile.  
  
"Before you decide to go, there is something you need to know," the professor said. I raised an eyebrow in question.  
  
"She's in the hands of Friends of Humanity. They've been using that serum that detects the X gene and she was discovered and taken. You'll be going undercover as a lab assistant," said the professor as he handed me a fake ID with my picture on it.  
  
"You're name is Joseph Clayton, a junior at Empire State University and a genetics major," the professor explained. I nodded. It really did amaze me how the professor could get illegal stuff like fake Ids.  
  
~ Jean~  
  
My hair is growing. No, I am serious. Its now almost to my ankles. My fingernails are growing quickly as well. Ida clips them before they can get very far above the quick though. She wants to avoid a good scratching. I was taken from my tower yesterday; at least I think it was yesterday. There's no way to judge time around really. Well anyway they cut me open yesterday. I don't think they found anything usual. I am confined to bed until the stitches have a time to heal the cut. I am not longer afraid of needles. I am getting poked and jabbed by them almost everyday. They keep injecting me with the clear amber liquid. I suppose my hair and nails are growing because of that. Maybe it's a weird allergic reaction or something. I am not sure how long I have been in here. Maybe a month or a year, I am still not sure. Boredom is a dangerous thing here. Ida dropped a pencil once. I hid it with one of my bare feet. She never knew it was missing. I proceeded to draw on the walls of my cell. It helped fade away the whiteness that blinded me day after day. I drew everything I knew. I drew my house and the two tall trees around. I drew my cat, Whisper. I didn't draw my parents though; I couldn't bring myself to do it. After I ran out of things I knew, I started making things up to draw. One wall looked like something straight out a fantasy book. But the fantasy had nothing to do with needles or a cell in a tower. In this fantasy the couple actually stays together and he doesn't reject her because she's different. Ida discovered my drawings the next day and ordered some interns to paint over it. They're still here. My drawings are still here. Maybe Ida was merciful, maybe she forgot.  
  
~Scott~  
  
Friends of Humanity are stupid. I figured they would take a blood sample or something. They didn't. None of them commented on my shades either. The observatory building is always cold and there is white everywhere. To my annoyance I got lost twice down the identical hallways. Another intern became my partner. He was a light brown haired guy that was in serious need of haircut. His name was Cal and looked like he'd be more comfortable in a hard metal rock band and not at a lab that tested mutants. It was not hard to find Jean Peterson. They keep her locked in a tower that you can only get to by a bridge that only can be activated by the head scientist's palm print. For once I wished I had the shape shifting abilities of Mystic. It would make this job a lot easier. I can't break into the tower from the bottom. I shifted my sunglasses after work one day and tried. Nothing, not even a dent appeared in it making me wonder if it was titanium or some metal of the short.  
  
"…So anyway this driver feels really bad and says to the priest, "Father I know I have sinned. I ran over that mutant. The priest shakes his head and says, "Do not worry. I got him with the door!" joked Cal. I managed to crack a smile for appearance sake. Cal loved mutant jokes and it was almost pure torture having to listen to him.  
  
"Come on Joe. I know it was lame but you are way to serious, man!" whistled Cal.  
  
"You two!" yelled the head scientist as she pointed to me and Cal. Cal gulped. The head scientist named Ida was as mean as a starving pit bull. She looked like one too. Everyone was afraid of her. She made me uneasy, heck I think she'd make the Hulk uneasy.  
  
"Yes ma'am," both of us said in unison. She thrust paint buckets in our hands. "Follow me!" she bellowed at us.  
  
"We're painters now?" Cal whispered to me. The bulldog's back stiffened as she spun around.  
  
"No you are pond scum. Interns are the lowest form of life except for mutants, understand?" she bellowed.  
  
"Right," said Cal shaking his head. I clinched my teeth and followed. Ida touched the screen with her palm activating the bridge.  
  
~ Jean~  
  
I opened my eyes as the door came open. Ida came in followed by two young men with paint buckets.  
  
"I'll be back in an hours time. Not one inch of this wall is to remain unpainted, understood?" she demanded.  
  
"No!" I yelled at them. Ida spun around and glared at me.  
  
"That's enough from you!" she hissed at me. I held my ground and glared back. "This is my room, get out, you spineless sadist," I screamed at her. I no longer had any normal conversations. All I did was scream and yell. It felt like I was losing my humanity a bit by bit. Ida raised her hand to hit me. I waited for the blow to come but it didn't. One of the young men grabbed Ida's arm.  
  
"How dare you!" she roared. The young man seemed unaffected.  
  
"Obviously the mutant is still under the drugs from the surgery, she has no idea what she's saying," he smoothly replied. I reddened at the term mutant. I still hated to be called that. Ida tore her arm away and stomped out of the room. There was the usual automatic hum that signaled the bridge being pulled away.  
  
"Don't you dare touch those walls!" I hissed at them. The one who defended me looked a bit taken back. He didn't look any older then I was. He had dark brown hair and had shades covering his eyes. The other looked like a punk rocker in a lab coat. He kind of reminded me of Shaggy from Scooby Doo.  
  
"We have to," Shaggy said as he picked up a paintbrush and started covering my drawing of my cat.  
  
"Get out!" I yelled at them. The bucket floated in the air almost hitting the guy with shades.  
  
~Scott~  
  
She had really good aim. I had barley gotten out of the way in time. Cal looked ready to run. Paint splattered everywhere. Jean had gotten her point across. Her skin was pale and stretched over her body. She was lying on the bed looking very weak and thin. Her eyes were hallowed and haunted looking. Letters and numbers had been tattooed on her arm. A thin blanket was pulled over her. Her hair covered the blanket like a fiery fan. I had never in my life seen such long hair. It was tangled in huge knots and snarls. She never rose from her bed and still looked a bit drugged. She looked exhausted as well. She still didn't have much control of her powers and using them drained her apparently. He knew how that felt. 'I am sorry,' I thought. Her eyes glared at me as I picked up the brush and started painting.  
  
"No your not!" she said with weariness in her voice.  
  
"Man, she's too freaky. Tell the bulldog to let me out of here!" Cal said and pounded on the door. Jean didn't look impressed. There was the hum of the bridge and the door opened and Cal rushed out and past Ida. Ida surveyed the room and the paint everywhere.  
  
"So you're using your powers," she commented. She looked at me.  
  
"Are you leaving to, pound scum?" she asked. I shook my head no. She grimly nodded at me and left the tower.  
  
~Jean~  
  
Shaggy panicked. It was almost amusing. He thought I was dangerous. Shades stayed, much to my annoyance.  
  
"Why don't you leave?" I demanded.  
  
"Good question," he replied adding to my agitation.  
  
"Well?"  
  
"Well what?" he asked innocently.  
  
"Leave," I demanded.  
  
"I am actually enjoying your company," he replied and kept painting.  
  
"Why? I am a mutant. You said that yourself," I told him. The guy shrugged. "You're human just with an extra gene," he said. My mouth dropped open. Well that was surprising. Nobody had ever said that to me since I was taken from my school. He smiled at my reaction. He had a nice warm smile.  
  
"You're different from the others," I told him. He laughed.  
  
"Yes I guess I am."  
  
"You should be here."  
  
"Why not?" he asked.  
  
"They're corrupt you," I told him. He smiled again.  
  
"I doubt that," he replied.  
  
"What's your name?" I asked.  
  
"Joseph," he replied then thought "its Scott" I am beginning to tell talking ant thinking apart now.  
  
"Which one?" I asked curiously. He raised an eyebrow in question.  
  
"Scott or Joseph?" I asked slightly annoyed.  
  
"Joseph here," he said and continued to paint.  
  
"They don't know you're telepathic," he told me after a few minutes of silence. I shrugged and rolled over wincing slightly at the pain in my side.  
  
"I don't care. You're not going to tell them, are you? They might just cut open my head next," I said gloomily.  
  
~Scott~  
  
I shook my head. I was going to have a good yelling to do at the professor about this. He didn't tell me she would be beautiful.  
  
"You don't like it here, do you?" I asked. It was a stupid question.  
  
"Are you kidding? My own spacious rooms and oh my what a view. But the health care here has a need of improving," she replied sarcastically. I was tempted just to go over to her and hug her and tell her everything. But that would be too dangerous now. She was living what every mutant feared; being captured and worked on like a lab rat. "Good point," I said trying to remain cheerful. I started on a wall that looked like a fantasy scene. I hated to remove it. This was art, real art. It wasn't crappy or abstract like much of the art I've seen. The details alone amazed me. I could almost see myself there. She's glaring at me again. I am right at the foot of her bed now. She sat up shielding one the part that was on the wall behind her bed.  
  
"Lay down," I ordered. I knew sitting up was nearly killing her. She's growing paler as I watch.  
  
"Bite me," she retorted back. I gave her a gentle push that made her frail body collapse on the bed once more. She looked about ready to kill me now, not that I blame her.  
  
"Don't you dare touch this wall," she ordered me sharply and cupped her hand over a couple she had drawn. The couple had their backs turned in the picture. The woman was carrying a bunch of flowers and the man had his arms around the woman.  
  
"I have to," I lowered my voice into a mere whisper.  
  
"No!" she screamed at me again. She's got a good set of lungs.  
  
"I am sorry," I told her.  
  
"No, you're not. You her human lap dog, when she orders you jump," she yelled at me. Ouch, talk about a blow to my ego.  
  
"You can't paint over this picture. It's something to hope for," she told me. She's about ready to cry, her eyes are getting misty. I hate it when girls cry but if she is going to, it's going to tear me up inside.  
  
"Is it of you and your boyfriend?" I asked. She looked amazed my question and lowered her hand.  
  
"How do you know if I have a boyfriend?" she asked.  
  
"Well, because you're pretty," I admitted.  
  
"When they found out I was a mutant, he ditched me. I guess I don't blame him. Who could love a mutant? I am a freak," she gloomily said. Depression was hitting her hard here. I couldn't blame her. I had some of the exact same feelings, every mutant had. But she didn't have some one like Xavier telling her how special she was and her gifts were a blessing even though it didn't seem so at the time. I laid my paintbrush down gently and sat down on the corner of her bed.  
  
"No, you are human. Keep faith, you'll get out of here," I whispered and brought her hand up to my lips. She allowed me to paint over the drawing. I felt like a cad though. This was proving to be the most difficult mission I had even been on. 


	5. The Visitor

Title: Project: Rapunzel  
  
Chapter:5  
  
By: Webspinner  
  
Notes: Thank you so much for reviewing. Your reviews are what is keeping this story going! I enjoy reading them a lot. Boom Boom aka Tabby Smith is also in this chapter. Enjoy.  
  
I am addicted to it. I am addicted to the amber liquid they inject in me everyday. Somebody forgot to inject me or did it on purpose. My body started to have seizures that scared me. It was like swirling down into a black abyss. I could see my body but had no control over it. Joseph and Shaggy had to hold me down to keep me from hurting myself or someone else. Ida stood over and watched with her sadistic interest and looked slightly amused. Joseph had screamed at her to do something but all she did was watch. Soon I lost all consciousness and fell into blessed peace.  
  
Time cannot penetrate this world of mine. Sometimes I will get a glance at Joseph or Ida's watch when they came in. I need it to give me a hint. In this world, you have to hold onto anything you can grab onto and clutch it to you. I think I knew how Pandora felt when she was surrounded by the evil once she opened the box and found that there was hope in the bottom. It wasn't my decision to open the box that forced me here. But I finally found my hope in Joseph. I always relied on myself but sometimes you find you can't bare everything and you realize you need someone else. Joseph was my hope in this madness. I never really see him that often. I drew on the walls again to get him up to my tower. Shaggy has become braver too. His real name is Cal but I think Shaggy suits him better. Ida alone comes here all the time though since she delivers my medication and food. I no longer scream at her, when I scream I get hit or slapped depending on her mood at the time. I simply wait now and kill time by imagining means to end her life. The feeling of hatred this strong still amazes me and drains me at times. Never before had I been affected by something so powerful. Joseph snuck a comb to me. I spend most of my time combing the massive knots that entangle my hair. It has grown even longer and I've stopped even trying to guess its length. It took me about four hours to get it untangled and about three hours after that to get it braided.  
  
I am dreaming again. I don't know why the dreams have started again. They usually have my parents and friends in them. Sometimes they have Joseph in them too. He doesn't have his usual reddish shades in my dreams. I can actually see what color his eyes are but I never remember what color they were when I wake up. Dream Joseph has very nice eyes. I sort of wonder why he wears shades all the time, although it gives him an air of mystery. I wonder if the girls go crazy for him because of that mystery. Does he have a girlfriend? He probably does, girls love a man of mystery.  
  
~ Scott~  
  
"So let me get this straight, you are going to break into a place that probably has more security then Fort Knox to see a girl?" yelled the person on the other end of the phone. I winced and sighed. Trying to talk to Tabby Smith was an ordeal in and of itself. I frowned into the phone receiver and sat down on the bed in my cheap hotel room. "Tabitha, look I still need to get her to trust me before I can bring her to the Xmen. She still dealing with the fact she's a mutant herself and will probably freak if she finds out I am one and I am taking her to school of them," I explained.  
  
"And?" Tabitha asked over the other end of the phone. I felt like yelling every insult at her I could think of. I took a deep breath and tried again.  
  
"Look if Kurt was in here wouldn't you rescue him?" I asked using her crush on the blue fur ball as bait.  
  
"Yes, of course. You're in love with her!" Tabby squealed over the phone. This was getting me nowhere.  
  
"Listen to me carefully, something must not be getting through to you. There is a mutant girl who is imprisoned and experimented on by The Friends of Humanity," I told her. Pause. The FOH was like the bogie man to all mutants, some would wake up screaming after having a nightmare where they had been subjected to horrific experiments not too different from the ones being performed on Jean. Tabitha Smith was no different although she hid it well. Before becoming a member of the Xmen, Tabby had been a thief and a good one too. Most of the xmen still did not trust the young blonde but none of their goods had been found missing so far.  
  
"What will you give me?" she asked finally. I rolled my eyes. If only I had somewhere else to turn to instead of a pyromaniac.  
  
"The next time your late for curfew, I wont' rat on you," I promised her.  
  
"And?"  
  
"And what?" I asked now completely annoyed.  
  
"What else?" she asked sounding annoyed at me.  
  
"I'll try to hook you up with Kurt," I said.  
  
"And?"  
  
"And be happy with what you get," I told her not being able to help the sarcasm coming though in my voice.  
  
"Give me $300 plus a free curfew pass and a date with Blue and tell you how you can get to your Juliet," she replied. She was my only chance and she knew it. "I hate you," I told her. She laughed on the other end.  
  
"I know. Is it a deal?" she asked. "Yes," I said as I rubbed my forehead.  
  
"On your honor?" she asked.  
  
"Yes, I swear. Do you want me to sign my name in blood or something? And what about honor among thieves?" I asked her. There was a pause again.  
  
"Who told you about honor among thieves? It's a myth. The rule is you stab me in the back and I stab you in the back. Now here's the plan…" she started. It was going to be a long night.  
  
~Jean~  
  
"Jean!" someone yelled waking me up with a start. I climbed out of the hard bed and went to the window. Joseph was standing at the base of the tower.  
  
"What are you doing here?" I yelled back down at him.  
  
"Lower you voice," he commanded me. I nodded.  
  
"I needed to see you," he told me. His voice echoed off the bare walls. This was like something out of a movie.  
  
"I am going to try something. That hook on the corner of the window wrap your braid around that once and then throw down your hair," he commanded me. I looked at him with puzzled expression but did what he commanded.  
  
~Scott~  
  
Her hair drifted down to the ground where I stood. It had reached the bottom as I hoped. It looked like a rope of flame. I let out a silent prayer and started to climb. When I reached the top Jean looked about ready to kill me.  
  
"You could've warned me you were going to do that?" she yelled at me.  
  
"I am sorry," I apologized to her. I am always apologizing to her it seems. "Did it hurt?" I ventured to ask.  
  
"Have someone try to climb up your hair, what do you think? Of course it freakin' hurt," she retorted as she pulled the rest of her hair up.  
  
"So why did you come up here?" she asked.  
  
"Do you trust me?" I asked her. She gave me a strange look.  
  
"Yes," she said finally with a nod.  
  
~Jean~  
  
Did I trust him? I knew the answer even before I asked myself.  
  
"Yes," I said nodding. He looked relived. He's going to tell me something. Watch any movie and it always works out like this, he's going to tell the girl something and then the girl's probably going to hate him later.  
  
"Jean," he whispered my name. My knees went weak as he came closer. I am in love with him! The fact just hit like a ton of bricks. This can't he happening. I wasn't going to be caught in the mess love required. I am not going to be hurt and I certainly not… He kissed me. Not on the hand but on the lips. My arms automatically wrapped around his neck pulling him closer and making the kiss even deeper. Time cannot penetrate the walls of my tower; this time I didn't want it to. I wanted this to last forever. He broke away too soon.  
  
"I love you Jean," he told me. I managed to nod. He took a deep breath and slowly whispered.  
  
"I am also as mutant." My mouth dropped open.  
  
"You're what?"  
  
"A mutant" He started to shift the glasses away from his face. Red light shimmered around the edges and he shifted them back to place.  
  
"I can blast energy from my eyes. I'd give you a demonstration but my powers are not inside friendly," he said with a half smile.  
  
"What did your parents think?" I asked. I had to know. I needed to know. Did all parents betray their children?  
  
"I don't know. They died in a plane crash a long time ago," he told me. I held on to him tighter.  
  
"My parents sold me here. My mother betrayed me for a plant," I told him and to my horror tears started to stream down my face. It had been such a long time since I've cried here. Joseph just held me while I wept into his shirt. 


	6. I will get you out of here

Title: Project: Rapunzel  
  
Chapter: 6  
  
By: Web Spinner  
  
Notes: song is from A walk to remember. When I heard I just thought of this story and had to put it in  
  
________________________________________________________________________  
  
There's a song that inside of my soul.  
It's the one that I've tried to write over and over again.  
I'm awake in  
the infinite cold, but you sing to me over and over and over again.  
So I lay my head back down, and I lift my hands and pray to be only yours.  
I pray to be only yours.  
I know now you're my  
only hope.  
  
________________________________________________________________________  
  
~ Scott~  
  
I opened my eyes. I had never meant to go to sleep. Jean was asleep in my arms looking at peace. She looked like an angel and it made me want to protect her even more. I was never supposed to get this close. I nudged her gently. Her emerald eyes fluttered open and smiled at me.  
  
"We can't be caught like this," I told her. She nodded and stood up and stretched. She wrapped her hair on the hook and threw the rest down the side.  
  
"I'll come back tonight," I promised her and kissed her. She wrapped her arms around my neck.  
  
"I don't want to be alone again," she whispered into my shirt.  
  
"You never will be again, I promise," I said and climbed out of the window and down the rope of hair. I needed time to come up with a plan. I had come up with dozens of ideas but they seemed impossible. I almost cursed at the professor for assigning me to this assignment. I had never meant to get so close to her and I certainly never meant to fall in love with her.  
  
***Later***  
  
"Do they sit around thinking what crummy jobs they can give us?" complained Cal as he finished sweeping the conference room. I nodded and wrung out the rag I had been washing the windows with.  
  
"Man, you're being more serious then usual. Are you sick?" he asked me.  
  
"No," I said and shook my head. My mind had been filled with parts of plans of how to break Jean out of here.  
  
"Something is bugging you," Cal commented. I raised an eyebrow in annoyance and sighed.  
  
"Do you ever wonder if this whole thing is right?" I asked him. He looked taken aback but he sat down and stared at me thoughtfully.  
  
"It's science, so it has to be right," he said with a shrug.  
  
"Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former," I quoted. Cal looked at me with puzzlement.  
  
"Einstein," came a voice behind me. I stiffened and turned around. A man in his late forties stood before me surrounded by the press and a couple of bodyguards. I nodded.  
  
"Albert Einstein said that after the bombing of Japan. Not all things categorized as science is a good thing for the betterment of the people on this earth," I said.  
  
"Smart lad, you know your history. Do you know who I am?" the man asked me. Of course, everyone knew Senator Kelly. He spoke about Mutant registration. To the Mutant community he was considered as evil or even more so then the Friends of Humanity.  
  
"Yes, Senator Kelly," I said simply. Personally I would've liked to punch in his face but I remained calm as if the guy standing in front of me wasn't some mutant hating idiot.  
  
"Good lad," he said slapping me on the back and currently brushed past me. More and more people began filling in the room.  
  
"Come on Joe, we're going to get in major trouble if the bulldog catches us," warned Cal and pulled on my sleeve.  
  
"No I want to see what's going on," I told him. He shrugged.  
  
"Ok, man it's your own funeral," he said and rushed out the door. I rolled my eyes. Cal defiantly wasn't a kind of guy you'd place your life in his hands.  
  
~ Jean~  
  
Something is going on. I was given a pair of comfortable pair of carpenters pants and a think wool sweater to put on. My hair was also fixed properly. I was almost afraid they were going to cut it but they didn't. Now all I have to do is sit and wait. I hate waiting.  
  
~ Scott~  
  
"...And as you see Senator Kelly the Neutralizer will disengage the gene in the mutant's body," explained the scientist and held up the gun. I frowned at the small gun and shook my head. Everyone around me stood up and applauded. I stood up as well as to not be marked as different. I couldn't believe everyone was actually agreeing to the crap that had been presented. Pure hatred spread though the crowd masked as righteousness. It was almost sickening.  
  
"What are the side affects?" I asked the scientist. Out of the corner of my eye I saw the guards surrounding the conference room move their hands toward their gun belts. Did they really think I was that stupid? The scientist looked blankly at me.  
  
"There are none," said Senator Kelly smiling down from the platform. I sat down to divert attention. Even now Ida was glaring at me from her spot on the platform as well. Senator Kelly walked over to podium.  
  
"Dear people. We are in a new age where unlike our grandfathers we have to worry about the increasing population of mutants among us. We need to find them and tag them. Mostly we need to find out what they do. Some I've heard, have such great powers that when they touch brings death to any human," Kelly stated. The crowd murmured and stirred. "Science is an amazing thing. With the Neutralizer and the new serum X66 that will be given to every highschooler in the country by next year. The mutant's body will let off a reaction against X66 allowing us to pick them. Already we have found and tagged some of the mutants from the school where the serum was first tested. Here is one such girl," said Senator Kelly. The room was very quiet as two guards half dragged Jean into the room. I clinched my teeth and held tightly onto my chair to prevent myself from running to her. The fools had drugged her again. She stared at the crowd with glassy eyes but still struggled weakly against the  
guards that held her.  
  
"This thing, good people, has the ability to maneuver items with her mind and is one of the less dangerous mutants out there. She is being healed of her mutation right as I speak," Senator Kelly said and lifted Jean's chin so the crowd could see her face. Jean pulled away from his touch.  
  
"Unhand me now. I was forced here against my will," she yelled at the crowd desperately. She was struggling harder now. Items started suddenly floating in the air. I managed to grasp my glasses before they were ripped from my face. She was in a panic and that usually sent her powers haywire.  
  
"Restrain her!" yelled Ida through the chaos. A guard hit Jean on the back of the head with the hilt of his gun. Jean crumbled to the floor and the things floating in the air dropped as well.  
  
"Hello Scott" said the professor as he picked up the phone. I frowned. I hated when the professor did that, it still freaked me out a bit.  
  
"Did you get the serum?" I asked him.  
  
"In fact I did and had it tested. It's very interesting, it speeds along the mutation process," Charles answered.  
  
"She's addicted to it. Jean went into seizures one day when she wasn't injected with it."  
  
"I figured as much. It will make your job harder unless she can break it. Her body will crave the drug and she might do anything even go back to the Friends of Humanity to get the next quick fix," the professor said calmly. I gritted my teeth, I had been afraid of that but never wanted to admit it.  
  
"Who's there?" I asked.  
  
"Where there is only Kitty and Tabby," he replied. Only two? That will make this even harder.  
  
"Send them here, we're breaking her out tomorrow night," I said and hung up the phone. I glanced at the cheap motel clock. It was 2 am.  
  
~Jean~  
  
My body is numb with pain. It hurts almost so bad that I cannot even sleep. I don't want to sleep for Joseph is coming tonight again. I spotted him out in the crowd. He's hard to miss with his usual red tinted sunglasses. I had been reprimanded for my conduct of course. I knew I would be, but I never thought they would've beaten me this much. I think one of my ribs was cracked. I walked over to my window and looked at the shadows the distorted the whiteness of my prison.  
  
"Jean!" came a voice below. I lowered my hair and waited for him to climb up. "Joseph," I greeted him with a kiss. He stroked my cheek with his thumb.  
  
"I am so sorry," he apologized.  
  
"It looks worse then it is," I mumbled. He took me in his arms and I felt so safe. He just held me for a couple of minutes saying nothing.  
  
"I'm getting you out of here tomorrow night. Understand? You don't have to be afraid of them anymore," he told me. My heart nearly burst as emotion engulfed me like a wave.  
  
"Thank you," I said and kissed him again. I didn't know what I would do with out my Joseph.my Scott.  
  
~ Cal~  
  
"You were right." I looked up and swallowed hard. Joseph was a traitor. He was helping the mutant...in fact he was in love with her. Even now the couple was kissing in the tower in plain view.  
  
"And this happens every night?" Ida asked.  
  
"It just recently started happening to my knowledge," I managed to say. I swallowed again as the main scientist bored her eyes into me.  
  
"I will deal with it then," Ida said with a small smile on her face. She pressed the money into my hand.  
  
"Go spend it on drugs, beer and women if you'd like. You've earned it," she sneered at me. I nodded and stuffed the money into my pocket. I glanced one last time at the happy couple. I felt like such a Judas. 


	7. The Mission attempted

Title: Project: Rapunzel  
  
Chapter: 7  
  
By: Web Spinner  
  
Notes: Long time no see, huh? Don't worry I didn't forget, I've just been battling the flu and am quarantined in my dorm room lol.  
  
~ Scott~  
  
When you're waiting for something, time creeps by at a snail's pace. I consider myself to be very patient but this was Jean. Kitty and Tabby had arrived this morning and are waiting in my hotel room. Neither of them looked too happy to have gotten here at five A.M. I leaned over the railing and glanced at the tower. Jean was sitting by the window and staring at everyone working.  
  
"You're in love with her, the mutant." I spun around to see Cal.  
  
"You know how to sneak up on a person. You almost gave me a heart attack," I said clutching my chest dramatically. He gave me a half smile.  
  
"Well?"  
  
"Well what?" I asked innocently. He looked completely annoyed at me. It was almost amusing.  
  
"Her name is Jean," I commented.  
  
"The bulldog said her name was Rapunzel," Cal said. I stuck my hands in my pocket.  
  
"Does this conversation have a point?" I asked.  
  
"Do you love her?" he asked me again. I gritted my teeth.  
  
"Yes," I finally answered.  
  
"She's a mutant."  
  
"And?"  
  
"Joe, it's just not normal for you to fall in love with some one who's not human," Cal said with a frown. I stared at him. Was this conversation going somewhere?  
  
"She can't help it that she was born with an extra gene like you didn't have any control over being born white or blonde," I said with a shrug. Cal said nothing but turned and left.  
  
* 2:00 AM *  
  
~Kitty~  
  
"Do I get to blow something up?" Tabby asked for the millionth time. I swear if she asks it one more time I am going to strangle her with my bare hands. Scott looked ready to kill her to as he switched from his glasses to his visor, which completed his x-man uniform.  
  
"You will. I'm going to get Jean who is in the tower. Tabby, I need you to distract the guards and Kitty you need to take out as many security cameras as possible. Once I have Jean, you two need to destroy the computers one way or the other. No firepower until then, understand Boom Boom? We don't need the fire alarms going off just yet," he instructed. Tabby nodded but looked disappointed. Why did such a pyromaniac have to get firepowers anyway?  
  
"Ready Shadow Cat?" Scott asked. I nodded and the two took my hands and we faded through the chain link fence that surrounded the compound. I took mental note of the cameras around me and frowned. It amazed me that Scott was able to sneak in at all the previous nights. After running across the dark yard we faded into the compound. It reminded me of a hospital and my stomach immediately reacted.  
  
"You ok?" Scott asked. I nodded and waited for my stomach to settle down. "Like, let's go," I said. Scott and Tabby nodded and went down opposite hallways. This really was romantic. Scott was going to rescue his princess that was locked away in a tower. `I bet he sweeps her off her feet too,' I mumbled and sighed dreamily. It sounded something straight out of a romance novel.  
  
~Tabby~  
  
Cyclops is just one big stick in the mud. He is always following the rules and doesn't have a life. In my opinion, he's just a big bore anyway. I rounded the corner to see two guards walking my way.  
  
"Hey boys, can you tell me the way to the little girl's room?" I asked with sugary sweetness that even outdid Kitty.  
  
"Hey how did you get in here, missy?" one asked. Neither of them looked very threatened by me. If I didn't know I could kick their butts I wouldn't be threatened by me either. My eyes started to water up.  
  
"Well you see, my car broke down just outside. I don't suppose one of you big strong men could help fix it could you?" I asked. They looked at each other. They were actually considering it. How stupid are these guys? I should defiantly get an Oscar for this wonderful performance.  
  
"My my, it's sure hot in this building," I said fanning myself dramatically and my hand moved to the zipper under my throat. I unzipped my uniform just enough so they could get the top edge of my lacy black bra.  
  
"So will you help me?" I asked and started to walk away. They followed of course. I knew they would. Once we reached the outside of the building I knocked them unconscious with a hit on the back of the neck and Logan thinks I never pay attention in martial arts training.  
  
~Scott~  
  
She was waiting for me. Her rope of hair was already down waiting for me to climb up. In my pocket I had a pair of scissors to cut her hair and use it as a rope to climb down together. Soon we'll be together and soon you'll be free, I told Jean mentally.  
  
~ Jean~  
  
`Soon we'll be together and soon you'll be free,' Tears streamed down my face soaking the duct tape that covered my mouth. I wanted to scream at him telling him to leave. It was a trap and he was walking right into it. I was tied to a chair preventing me from moving. At my side were to armed guards. Ida was in a corner waiting with a small silver gun that looked like something out of a science fiction movie. Ida had cut my long braid and tied it to the hook. Somebody must have seen one of Scott's nightly visits and told. I moaned as I saw one hand grip the window ledge. One of the guards lifted a hand to hit me making me cringe. He grinned and lowered it. Sadist. Scott lifted himself to the window ledge.  
  
"Jean!" he said in shock and raised his hand to the corner of a visor that had replaced his usual glasses. A blast of red light from his eyes hit one guard who flew back and hit the wall with a thud. With a second beam the second guard joined his unconscious buddy. A blast of blue light hit Scott squarely in the chest. It was as I had feared; he hadn't seen Ida and she had hit him. She walked coyly up to him. Scott appeared dazed and his face was distorted with pain.  
  
"While the cat's away the mice will play. To imagine we had another mutant here and didn't even know it. I am sure you'd have made a lovely test subject but I guess we'll never know will we?" she asked and pushed Scott out the window. I moaned for the duct tape prevented me from screaming.  
  
~Kitty~  
  
I had just finished with the last camera when Tabby appeared.  
  
"You get the guards?" I asked.  
  
"Yup, all twenty of them are unconscious and tied up in a couple of different storage closets," she said smugly. I noticed her uniform; she quickly zipped it back up again.  
  
"You can't believe what perverts guys are," Tabby said with an innocent expression. I laughed out loud.  
  
"Whatever works for you, Tab. Now to the fun part, I'll go see if Scott's got his damsel in distress and you can start with the fire works," I said and phased through the wall but not before I heard Tabby's squeal of delight. I came to the foot of the tower just to see Cyclops plummeting rapidly to the ground. Something had gone very wrong. I screamed as I felt one of the bones in my arm break as I caught him and phased through the floor. I stuck my head through the floor to see a bridge activated to the tower and two females run across it. The red head being dragged was probably Jean. The fire alarms started to sound. I quickly checked Scott's heartbeat, it was weak but he was still alive. He was unconscious and looked to be in pain as well. We needed to get out of here. We had failed our mission. 


	8. Joy cometh in the morning....

Title: Project Rapunzel  
  
Chapter 8  
  
By: Web Spinner  
  
Notes: I am sorry this fic is sort of depressing and dark all the time. I really should be writing a research paper but I am writing this instead. Why can't my profs let us write any fun stuff? Please review!  
  
~ Jean~  
  
Sobs racked my body as I was being dragged away. Shadows hid the foot of the tower preventing me to see him. It was a blessing, I could stand to see my sweet Scott de... no I can't even say it. Ida stuffed me into a car and strapped me in. She seemed amused at my tears. Shaggy was in the driver's seat waiting.  
  
"What happened to Joseph?" he asked.  
  
"I don't pay you to ask questions. Drive," Ida yelled at him. I closed my eyes. `Think Jean. Concentrate' I told myself and started to work mentally on the knots that held my hands. I still couldn't control my powers very well and working the knots, which were behind my back, was nearly impossible. I twisted and tugged on the ropes that held my hands. The skin of my wrists broke under the bite of the rope and I felt trickles of blood wet my hands. I concentrated harder and the ropes seemed to loosen a bit. The minutes felt like years as I twisted my hands and inch by inch until they came lose. I rubbed my bloody wrists and undid my ankles. I kept glancing again and again at Ida and Cal but neither of them seemed to be paying me much attention. I finally pulled the duct tape off my mouth and winced at the sting.  
  
"Do you want to know what happened to Joseph?" I asked. Shaggy jumped and slammed on the brakes. Ida let out a good long string of curse words.  
  
"How did you get lose?" he asked me.  
  
"They shot him. She shot him. He's dead, Cal. You were his friend..." Cal eyes widened and a sudden guilty look crossed over his face.  
  
"You were the one who betrayed us weren't you?" I yelled at him. Cal looked at Ida horrified.  
  
"No, he can't be. You weren't supposed to hurt him. He was a good guy," Cal stated with shock in his voice.  
  
"He was a mutant. He killed two guards," she stated. Keep talking, I thought and finally found what I was looking for. With pain staking slowness I slowly lifted the sharp pair of scissors, which Ida had used to cut my hair out of her pocket.  
  
"You had no right. He was right. Human stupidity is infinite. I quit," he spat at Ida.  
  
"Why you little..." Ida started just to find a pair of scissors floating in front of her aiming for her heart.  
  
"Don't move, Dr. Frankenstein or this might hit a vital organ. Tell me, doctor, do you have a heart?" I whispered into her ear. Cal stared at me in shock. I think Ida had gone a few shades paler but it was hard to tell by the moonlight. She said nothing.  
  
"I've been waiting to do this for a long time. You hurt me bad, doctor. Just because I was different. You killed my love..." my voice had raised to a yell. Ida looked even more frightened. I was going to stab her through the heart with those scissors until Cal's voice stopped me.  
  
"No, Jean. You can't. It's not right. If word gets out that she was killed by a mutant then the rest of your kind will be hunted down even more and she will win in the end," he sad and put a hand on my shoulder. Ida smirked at me. The scissors pierced her shoulder causing her to scream. She just had to push me to far. She should've been glad they weren't in her heart.  
  
"I'll drive you to the nearest bus station," Cal said and started the car again. "Traitor," Ida hissed at him clutching her shoulder.  
  
"What we are doing is righteous! Don't you understand, we are cleaning the human race of this disease," she yelled at us.  
  
"Bull," I stated and glanced at the passing scenery.  
  
"We live for the cause and we'll die for the cause," she stated and grabbed the steering wheel.  
  
"What are you doing?" I heard Cal yell before the car hit the tree.  
  
I don't know how long I had been knocked out. My head pounded and a trickle of blood ran down my forehead. I groaned and sat up stiffly. The front of the car had been totally smashed in. Cal was unconscious over the steering wheel and Ida had been thrown through the window.  
  
"Wake up Cal," I said as I leaned over from the backseat.  
  
"Come on Shaggy, don't you die on me," I said and felt for a pulse. There was a light fluttering beneath my fingertips.  
  
"Shaggy," he whispered and opened his eyes a little bit.  
  
"Come on, that's it. You can make it," I said. His mouth cracked into a small smile.  
  
"Liar. Get out of here. I'm sorry for the pain I caused you," he whispered hoarsely at me. I bit my lip. He was dying. I sighed and felt all the anger leave me.  
  
"I forgive you," I told him as I found his hand. I squeezed it and he smiled once again then died.  
  
The road was deserted as I walked along the sides. I had wrapped by bloodied wrists with some scrapes of material I had torn off Cal's lab coat. The road signs gave me no clue to where I actually was, much to my dismay. My stomach grumbled for food and my muscles screamed with pain but I have to keep going. I am free a last but I keep wondering if the price was too much to pay. Tears started to stream down my face again causing me to have to wipe them away. Over the horizon the sun was beginning to raise, it was a glorious sight. You never stop to appreciate things like sun rises until they are taken away from you. I spotted a small store and jogged over to it. An old red pickup truck was outside of it along with some other cars. The truck bed had a cover over it. It would probably serve as a good resting place until I could start my journey again. I crawled into it and lay down on the cold metal. Tiredness overcame me and I was asleep before I heard the motor of the car  
start.  
  
~ Kitty~  
  
You'd never think of Logan of being a gentle guy but he set my arm in a splint without a trace of roughness.  
  
"You saved his life, half pint," he said as he finished. I sighed and looked across the med lab where Scott was still sleeping on one of the beds. Bandages covered his eyes making my heart fall even lower.  
  
"We failed. Jean's gone and now Scott can't see," I nearly cried. I hated crying in front of Logan but I couldn't help it.  
  
"I'm sure Chuck is trying his best with that computer of his in trying to find Red," Logan assured me. He was lying of course.  
  
"Cerebro is still broken from Mystic's last visit. I'd be fixing it now if I didn't have this thing on," I said with disgust and glared at the cast on my right arm.  
  
"Chuck should've called me and Beast down from Canada. This was not a mission you youngsters should've taken by yourselves," Logan said grimly.  
  
~Jean~  
  
"She's coming around," a soothing voice lifted me from my sleep. I smiled in comfort for I was so toasty warm, a feeling that I had long forgotten. I opened my eyes and found several people staring down at me. None of them had lab coats on and each wore very welcoming smiles. One was an old man with a head of white hair and the kindest blue eyes I had ever seen. Beside him was an old lady with her gray and white hair pulled back in a clip. She wore a blinding shirt of purples and oranges with a pair of purple slacks. It gave her a impish sort of look to her. The man closest to me was sitting in a chair by my bed. He was an older man in his fifties. He had a balding head of hair and a stethoscope around his neck. He reached out to me and I drew back in fright. "It's ok, honey. We won't hurt you," the old lady said warmly.  
  
"How long have I been here?" I asked but kept a good eye on the doctor. There was no way I was going to let him touch me. He'd only take me back to them... I shuddered at the thought.  
  
~ Rev. Grey~  
  
Our young guest looked about ready to leap out of the bed if anyone made any sudden movements.  
  
"About a week," I told her. She had slept most of the time but on the second and third day had gone into violent seizures that made me fear she would make it at all. Even now, it was going to take a lot of work to get her healthy again. She looked half starved and she had been bruising over her body not to mention deep bruising around her wrists and ankles that showed she'd been tied unmercifully. The young lady was a mystery indeed. She had somehow hidden in my old pickup truck when I was returning home from a trip out of town.  
  
"I'm Rev. Charles Grey, this is my wife, Maryanne, and this is Dr. Peters," I introduced everyone. She glanced us over with her large green eyes.  
  
"I'm Jean," she said simply. Her eyes lingered around our guest bedroom until they found an open window. Over the horizon, the sun was starting to appear. Her lips turned up into a smile.  
  
"And joy cometh in the morning," I quoted from the book of Psalms. Something tells me this young woman was going to make it.  
  
~Kurt~  
  
Kitty looked like she was going to cry again as Beast shinned a small light into Scott's eyes. I put my arm around her careful not to touch her broken right arm. She didn't move away but laid her head on my shoulder. It was really freaky to see Scott without his glasses and not getting blown to kingdom come. After an hour of scientific mumbo jumbo we finally got the results in plain English. Scott's powers were gone. "Anything?" asked Beast.  
  
"I can almost see some shadows, that's it," Scott replied without any emotion. He was taking it well in my opinion. I'd have freaked out.  
  
"Is there any way we can get the antidote to the beam that did this?" Ororo asked. She and Evan had made it back from their trip from Africa as soon as they heard. I had to come back from a visit to my parents in Germany as well.  
  
"Tabby fried the computers," Kitty said. None of them turned to look at the blonde girl. Strong, quirky Tabitha Smith looked ashamed even though she had been following orders, she knew she had destroyed Scott's only hope of getting to see.  
  
"We have to get Jean," Scott says. Man for a guy that's just lost almost everything, he's got a one track mind. The professor laced his fingers together. It was tearing him up inside to see Scott like that. I think he secretly thinks of the older student to be somewhat like a son to him.  
  
"How?" the professor asked.  
  
"I'll look just like any normal person. I have to find her and I will find her," he said determined.  
  
"But Scott, you're....you can't see!" Kitty cried.  
  
"I don't care," Scott answered back. There was no question to it now. He was defiantly in love with her. I held Kitty closer and whispered how much I loved her in German.  
  
"I'll go with you!" I volunteered.  
  
"You will all split up into groups," commanded the professor.  
  
"I'm sure we will be able to find her," Ororo said.  
  
"It'd be easier to find a needle in a haystack," Evan grumbled causing the rest of us to glare at him. Although I hated to admit it, I agreed with him. 


	9. Adapting

Project Rapunzel  
Chapter 9  
By: Web Spinner   
  
~ Scott~   
Being blind scared me although none of the others could tell. I usually try to hide my feelings by wearing a poker face. It seemed always to help when I was at the orphanage and I would watch my friends being taken away one by one by loving parents. I figured if I just waited long enough then some parents for me would come. Of course they wouldn't be as good as my real parents but just maybe they'll have a little blonde haired boy that would remind me of Alex and we'd be best friends of course, brothers always are when they weren't fighting. I had lost my own parents and Alex in a plane crash. I soon started to form headaches and my eyes would hurt constantly. Little did I know it was my mutation developing in full swing. I had been scared to then to, especially when I took out a hospital wall with the beams from my eyes. But then the professor came and calmed by my fears about being a new mutant. He was the first one that gave me my ruby colored glasses. Put the fear of being a mutant was nothing like this fear that gnaws at my insides. Hank keeps telling me how lucky I was. Most mutants wouldn't have made it after the blast. I sighed and reached for my glass. Did Ororo say it was on the left or the right? I inched my hand over my plate of food and hit it against the tall glass. It tipped over the impact and spilled everywhere.   
"Dude, milk is spilling all over you," spoke up Evan. I grimaced and tried to find my napkin. There was a slight slapping sound and Evan whined,   
"What you'd that for?" This was defiantly going to a long day.   
  
~ Ororo ~  
  
Sometimes I wonder if Evan is even related to me. I glared at him as he rubbed the back of his head. I will have to give a good talking to later. All the other students around the breakfast table stared at their plates unable to watch Scott. He had managed to get most of the milk sopped up with his napkin and placed it too close to the edge of the table just to have it fall in the floor.   
"No use in crying over spilt milk," Scott said giving his famous half smile. Although this smile was forced.   
"That's right," I said trying to sound cheerful.   
"Scott, Logan and the professor want to meet with you in the study," I said. He nodded and got up. Using one hand stretched out, he guided himself to the door and we all watched him leave.   
  
~Jean~  
I reached out almost touching him but still he fell to his death.........  
  
"Scott!" I screamed and woke myself up. Yet again the dream still haunts my sleep. I wiped away the cold sweat that beaded my forehead. I sat up in bed trying to catch my breath as a soft knock sounded on the door. It opened to reveal the Greys in matching robes. They were such an odd couple. Rev. Grey was a kind soft spoken man while his wife was practically a chatterbox that simply burst with energy.   
"The dream again?" Rev. Grey asked as Mrs. Grey rushed to my bedside and embraced me. I nodded.   
"It's always the same dream. I just couldn't get to him in time," I whispered as a tear streamed down my cheek.   
"It's ok, Jean. You're safe here with us," Mrs. Grey said softly. I gave her a weak smile.   
"I am safe nowhere. I am a mutant. There is no room for my kind. Humans will hate and fear me if they knew," I explained.   
"Fiddlesticks, people are constantly doing stupid things and they will probably learn from it. Until that time, remember God creates no accidents, each human is special in his sight no matter if they are deaf, blind, or have a mutation. You are like this for a reason and its to do good on earth. You have face a great evil and you must learn to protect others from it. You must also learn to forgive," Rev. Grey said kindly. I glanced up at him.   
"I didn't come here for a sermon," I said a little too coldly then I meant to. I forgave Cal but I could never forgive the others.   
"They don't deserve any mercy," I spat. Rev. Grey shrugged.   
"It wouldn't be mercy if they did," he said and patted me fondly on the head. Then both he and his wife left me to my thoughts. It was a wonder he was not angry. I had never meant to yell at him. Rev. Grey had said there was a reason for everything. Maybe the reason for me coming here was to restore what little faith I did have in the whole human race. Just maybe.   
  
~Scott~  
I growled as I hit the training floor hard for the millionth time. The danger room had been set up with obstacles to give me practicing using a cane to get around. I stood up with a frown.   
"Very good. Shall we continue?" asked Logan for the millionth time. I did feel like punching him if it'd make him stop saying that. I tripped over a chair and crashed into the ground again. I laid there letting the cold floor ease my bruised body.   
"Are you just going to lay there, punk?" he asked. I frowned and lifted myself up. "Better. Again," Logan commanded.   
"No more. I am tired of this crap," I growled at him.   
"Oh I see,"   
"O I don't" I mimicked sarcastically. Logan said nothing for a minute.   
"You can't do it," he finally said.   
"So it seems," I retorted.   
"Oh well I wouldn't want to be rescued by a blind guy anyway if I was her," Logan murmured. I frowned as I pictured him staring at me with his arms crossed. Then a picture of Jean formed in my mind. She was like an angel and my anger slowly died away.   
"I will save her," I yelled at him and swung my cane at him mostly in annoyance rather then anger. . It whistled through the air and was probably not even close to him. I waited for him to say something. Nothing. I tapped my cane in front of me, back and forth back and forth trying to get a mental picture in my mind. What seemed like an eternity Logan finally stopped me by grabbing my shirt.   
"Very good, kid. You're through the maze," he congratulated me in his own rough way. 'Wait for me Jean. I am coming' 


	10. The search begins

Project: Rapunzel  
  
Chapter 10  
  
By: WebSpinner  
  
Rating: PG-13  
  
Notes: Sorry I took so long to get this out. Midterms are stressing me out right now.  
  
  
  
~Jean~  
  
Warm sunlight streamed down the window as I opened my eyes. I sighed peacefully and stared out the window. Buds on the tree where just starting to sprout giving evidence to the coming spring. My bare feet hit the floor and I grabbed a robe. The enticing smell of coffee commanded me to it like a drug. Mrs. Grey was already up and stirring a bowl of batter.  
  
"Good morning, did you have a good night of sleep?" she asked. I poured myself a steaming cup of coffee before answering.  
  
"Good," I lied. I don't think I dreamed but I had woken up crying. I took my cup of coffee and fled maybe a little to quickly into another room. My heart still ached a lot of course, but that was natural. But why? What was Scott to me exactly? Was it just because he had attempted to save me the reason I grieved? Or was it more? Maybe love? But I had known him for such a short time, it seemed impossible. I rubbed my temple as my mind raced with questions. I looked around the living room. My eyes lingered over the old photographs that were framed over the walls and rested in mini frames on the tables. It was almost like every inch of the room was covered with pictures. The living room walls were covered with a cheery yellow. The furniture all shine with the glow of polish and the air held a scent of lemons. At one end of the rather small living room was a piano that looked like it had seen better days. I took a sip of coffee and ran my fingers over the ivory keys. I pulled out the bench and sat down. I rested my cup of coffee beside me and gently laid my fingers lightly on the keys. It seemed like an eternity since I had played last and I wondered if I still could.  
  
  
  
~Tabby~  
  
All right to begin with I am not really into mushy stuff. I mean it's cool for Kitty and everything but I prefer to just live without it unless we are talking about Blue. Now that is a different story. I swear if I hear another thing about Jean I am going to scream. I've never seen anyone so lovesick as Scott Summers. It's pitiful. Everyone has been so seriously lately and pretty much stepping on egg shells around Scott. I think they still blame me for destroying those computers that could've helped him. He's doing better at least. The professor has been tutoring at him and Scott doesn't go to school any longer. If I were him I'd skip. It'd be cool to have no school, I just go to pull pranks and annoy the teachers. Even the Brotherhood has been asking where are our serious leader was. Kitty refused to tell even to Lance. When Terran asked me I told her Scott finally found out about her sleeping with every guy in the school (including Toad) and moved to another school so he didn't have to deal with her anymore. I swear I have never seen anyone turn purple like she did. Evan, who had been standing beside me at the time, thought it was funny too. Toad had heard to and wrinkled up his nose. "Dude I ain't that desperate," he had said and pointed to Terran. Terran then sulked off and has been avoiding me ever since. I flipped the page in my rock magazine when the door opened to reveal Scott. "Crap, don't you know how to knock? Oh man, can't a girl get naked around here without guys barging into her room?" I demanded. Scott blushed.  
  
"Now where is that bra?" I mumbled and moving things in my rather messy room. He turned a shade redder. You just had to love Scott. There really was such a thing as a gentleman nowadays.  
  
"Wrong room," he managed. It wasn't the first time he accidentally had gone into one of our rooms.  
  
"Chill Scott, I was just fooling with you. I'm completely dressed and have been since this morning," I told him. He looked relieved and walked down the hall leaving the door wide open. About half an hour later he walked past my door again, this time in the leather suit of the X-men.  
  
"Where are you going?" I yelled at him.  
  
"I'm going to find her as I set out to do. It's been a month! We've waited to long," he said with a frown. I rolled my eyes.  
  
"Ok Romeo I'm coming," I said and surveyed my room and the mountains of clothes that were piled everywhere. Now where did I put my uniform?  
  
~Mrs. Catherine Grey~  
  
Music drifted through the house causing me to stop and smile. Charles also entered the kitchen and stopped to listen to Jean play the piano. It was classical, not the rock music that the generation now blares from every radio everywhere. Charles took my hand and we waltzed around the room to the music. My heart melted as it had done fifty years earlier when I first met him.  
  
"Did I tell you Cat that you are just as beautiful now as the day I met you?" he asked.  
  
"You're a bad liar Charles Patrick Grey," I scolded him laughing. His still bright blue eyes twinkled with merriment. He spun me gently and we stopped still holding on to each other. I couldn't imagine living without him. Throughout the years our own love had become greater.  
  
"What are you making," he asked.  
  
"Pancakes," I said and went back to my batter.  
  
"Patrick called this morning," Charles mentioned. I nodded. "And?" "He and Amy are coming up for Easter this year," he said. I raised my eyebrows in surprise. "They didn't give us much warning. It's good though, both work too hard since…" I let my voice cut off. My son and daughter-in-law had immersed themselves in work since the death of their own daughter to cancer. It had been a terrible blow to the whole family when Joy had slipped away into eternity.  
  
"It's all that city life, far to stressful," my husband told me simply. I nodded. "Did you tell them about Jean?" I asked. He nodded.  
  
"Everything?" I asked.  
  
"Everything."  
  
~ Jean~  
  
Life settled into a pleasant routine. The Greys enrolled me in the local high school that was about 200 people in total. It was nice to get back to classes again. Every Sunday we went to church where Rev. Grey taught to a congregation of about 100. Since there was only two churches in the small town you either went to the Baptist church where Rev. Grey preached, the catholic church down the road or didn't go to church at all. Every Wednesday Mrs. Grey would voice lesson in the daffodil colored living room. On Saturday Rev. Grey went fishing although so far he's never caught much. I still went by the name of Jean Peterson even though it made me nervous. The principal is a deacon in Rev. Grey's so when the Greys explained that the missing transcripts were burned in a fire that had ignited her previous high school, he believed them. The Greys felt bad for the white lie but there was no way around it. I must say it was good to be looked at by boys again and soccer. Soccer has always been my passion and I never realized I had missed it so much until I stepped out in a grassy field during the second day of gym class. It was good to be free at last.  
  
I stared out at the rolling scenery as we drove from church.  
  
"I do believe most of the young men were staring at you rather then paying attention to the service," Rev. Grey laughed. I grinned and blushed. It really was embarrassing in a way. I sort of expect it at school but not at church.  
  
"Don't listen to him, honey. Charles did the exact same thing when he first saw me. I was quite a looker back then," Cat Grey confided in the young redhead. Rev. Grey smiled and shook his head but didn't take his eyes from the road.  
  
"Right after I had gotten out of seminary I moved here. Now when a young new pastor comes to a church immediately the old women in the church try to set him up with every single girl in the building. They would take these plain girls I think they had hid in closets some where and try to pair us up saying 'She's not much to look at but she prays real good,' Anyway during my second month preaching there I noticed a new family in my congregation and sitting between her two parents was the prettiest blonde haired girl I had ever seen in my life,' Charles said with a laugh. "He stopped right in the middle of his sermon! Forgot the whole thing. It was the funniest thing I had ever seen in my life. We were married six months after that," she said. I nodded and smiled. They still looked at each other with love. I closed my eyes and leaned against the seat. My mind formed a mental picture of Scott. I could almost feel him beside me. I shook my head to clear the picture. That was history, Scott wasn't coming back. Someday the pain of losing him will go away. Someday I will no longer cry at night over him. Someday I will get over him, but that day wouldn't come soon enough.  
  
~ Logan~  
  
"They haven't seen her," I said and folded up the print out picture of Jean from Cerebro. Scott frowned and nodded. I started the car and pulled away from the train station. I am not really into the whole team thing with the X-men but it was going to take everyone searching to find her. She hadn't been using her powers preventing the newly repaired Cerebro to detect her. No doubt the girl was still scared from her experience. The girl would hide herself the best she could, fear did that to a person. I glanced down at my knuckles. I of all people knew this for a fact. It was a blessing the fact that I couldn't remember what had happened to me giving me a skeleton of metal. I growled causing Scott to frown.  
  
"What?" he asked gripping the car door.  
  
"Nothing," I growled. If I had been there to rescue her, I would've split those doctors all open no matter what Chuck had to say about it. 'Come on Red, give us a clue' I thought as the car zoomed down the streets. 


	11. Found... but is it too late?

Title: Project: Rapunzel  
  
Chapter: 11  
  
By: WebSpinner  
  
Notes: Sorry it took me so long to get this out.  
  
~ Tabitha~  
  
"What were you thinking?" Logan roared at me. I crossed my arms and glared back at him.  
  
"Keep your eyes on the road," I said flatly. The statement crossed him even more as he pulled the car to the side of the road.  
  
"Come on Tabby, you know better then to light up hotels for the fun of it," Scott stated from the front seat. I would've stuck my tongue out at him but since he couldn't see it, it wouldn't be worth it.  
  
"Why do you think it was my fault?" I asked.  
  
"Because you're the one stupid enough and Kurt nor Kitty have the power of any type of fire. If you can't help in this mission then go home," Logan growled at me. I slouched back into my seat. It wasn't my fault all the X- men were such sticks in the mud. Life is too short to play it safe so you might as well have fun. I scowled at the two. I can't believe just because one of my explosions got a little bit out of hand that I got stuck with the two most boring guys in the X-men.  
  
"Let's just find Scott's girlfriend and get out of here," I nearly yelled at the two. "She's not my girlfriend," Scott protested. I rolled my eyes.  
  
"Whatever."  
  
  
  
~Jean ~  
  
"Have a nice spring break!" yelled a blonde girl to the whole class as the bell rang. I smiled and like all the other students left the school in a dead run. It would be nice to have time to just chill out.  
  
"Jean, how 'bout a date," asked a brown haired guy named Chris. I shook my head and left him without another word.  
  
"You have another guy, don't you?" he asked following me. I nodded.  
  
"It would figure, Red. Need a ride anyhow?" he asked. Chris was the usual class clown but really sweet. Still his offer really surprised me.  
  
"Sure that'd be great," I said. We walked out to the student parking lot in silence. "Hey Red," he said.  
  
"What?" I asked raising an eyebrow in question.  
  
"If your guy ever forgets how great you are, my offer still stands," he said and opened the door of his car for me.  
  
"I'll remember that," I said and slipped in.  
  
I opened the door to house and waved Chris farewell. I sighed and watched him drive off. It was tempting, I hated to admit.  
  
"Jean!" called out Cat as I entered the house. Beside her was a couple about the age of my parents. The woman was about five feet tall and slim in build. Her auburn hair was unmarred with gray and she wore a comfortable pair of jeans and an oversized sweatshirt. The man beside her looked much like Rev. Grey. He wore a neatly trimmed beard and his brown hair was tinged with gray at his temples. He too was dressed very casually.  
  
"Jean, I'd like you to meet my son, Patrick and daughter-in-law Amy," said Cat with a wide smile. I shook each of their hands. Cat had mentioned family would be coming still their presence surprised me.  
  
"Nice to meet you," I greeted them. I then turned and fled to my room. It was weird having more people in the house. Strangers still scared me a bit much to my chagrin. 'Come on Jean, they aren't going to hurt you' I told myself and flopped on the bed.  
  
I'm sorry  
  
I jerked my head as the voice formed in my mind.  
  
Don't be afraid, Mom said you might be nervous around us  
  
'I don't know what you are talking about, I'm perfectly fine' I thought in return. There was a knock on the door. Please open the door The voice begged me.  
  
"Come in," I called out. The door opened to reveal Amy. She gave me a small smile.  
  
"You're telepathic," I said. She nodded.  
  
"Basically," she said simply. I nodded. We stared at each other for a minute. Truth be told I had never met another person like me since Scott. It was sort of neat in a freaky sort of way.  
  
"Do the Grey's know?" I asked.  
  
"Yes, although it took Patrick awhile to get used to it, especially after we got married. Mom and dad told us all about you," she said. She wore a very calm expression but her eyes gave away her emotion. It was almost a spark of happiness mingled with a sadness that was deeper then any ocean.  
  
"Yeah, well it's the usual story. Girl is happy, girl finds out she's a freak, some Frankenstein takes girl, girl meets boy, boy gets killed and girl runs away. So pretty much your basic story blah blah," I said gloomily. Amy nodded.  
  
"You blame yourself. It wasn't your fault," Amy commented and rested a fragile hand on my arm.  
  
"Yes it was. I could've saved him," I cried.  
  
"We can't change the past, just try to get on with the future. I had a daughter about your age. I had to watch her slowly fade away and I cursed my gift. Why couldn't have been something useful like healing, I kept thinking as I watched her die of cancer. But she is still here in my heart like he is in yours," she said and placed my hand over my heart.  
  
~Amy Grey~  
  
The country night was extremely peaceful yet it was difficult me to drift asleep. Call me a city girl if you'd like but it was strange to not fall asleep with the sound of traffic and the noises of the city. In the distance, an owl called out in the night causing me to smile.  
  
"Patrick," I whispered and turned over to face my sleeping husband.  
  
"Umm," he mumbled sleepily. He pulled me close and opened his eyes sleepily. "What do you think about Jean?" I asked.  
  
"She's a good girl although she looked about ready to jump out of her skin when I said I was a doctor," he said with a yawn. I nodded. Her fear had hit me like a ton of bricks. None of us blamed her for her fear, she had been through more then I could imagine.  
  
" She's about Joy's age," I said. Patrick frowned, he was thinking that I would cry again.  
  
"I'm not going to cry," I chided him. He sighed.  
  
"You know it really is unfair that you can read my mind," he laughed.  
  
"Jealous?" I asked with a smile.  
  
"Me? Never," he laughed.  
  
"I want to adopt her."  
  
"Jean?"  
  
"Yes," I answered.  
  
"She's not going to replace Joy," Patrick said seriously.  
  
"And I don't want her to but the house is so empty and she needs someone. I know your parents love her but they will be unable to keep up with her soon," I debated. Patrick sighed again.  
  
"Dad approached me the same idea. The house is rather quiet, so another person won't matter that much," he said. I smiled and kissed him.  
  
"We'll ask her tomorrow," he said and pulled me against him. I nodded and closed my eyes letting sleep carry me away.  
  
~ Jean~  
  
"Welcome to the family, honey," smiled Cat as she lifted her glass in toast. I lifted mine as did the others. I have a family. It was almost surreal and I felt like I had been walking in a dream state. My mind lingered briefly over my real parents but I shook my head to get rid of the images of them both. They gave me up the day they turned me over to the Center. Goosebumps ran up and down my arms at the memory. Sometimes it still haunted my dreams but not as much as usual. The outdoor café was bathed in warm sunshine as we ate out to celebrate the adoption. Waiters hurried to and fro filling people's orders and delivering plates of hot and steamy food. Both Grey couples took their leave and went to walk around the numerous gardens that surrounded the café. It really was a peaceful spot. With the coming of spring, bushes of yellow had burst out in all of their glory. The birds had also returned and hopped on the neighboring trees avoiding humans as much as possible. I took a sip of my drink when claw like fingers wrapped around my shoulder. I stiffened and turned around. An elderly man stared down at me with piercing gray eyes.  
  
"Sorry, I didn't mean to frighten you," he said.  
  
"What do you want?" I asked icily. He seemed unaffected by my tone.  
  
"I know who you are," he stated. I raised my eyebrows in a mocking expression. "Good for you. Please go away or I will scream," I answered in the same icy tone. The old man didn't get the hint.  
  
"You have a gift," he said and pushed up the sleeve of my shirt to reveal the tattoo. I grimaced.  
  
"Yes, these humans never learn," he said and lifted up his own sleeve to reveal a tattoo of numbers faded with age. I turned away and stood up.  
  
"Go away," I demanded and started to leave. He grabbed my arm yet again. "You're scared. These people don't accept you, they're frightened of you and will do anything to destroy you," he hissed in my ear. My heart slammed in my chest.  
  
"I don't care, nobody knows anymore. So leave me alone," I commanded once more and pried his fingers away from me. Something caught my leg. I turned around to see the metal of one of the chairs twisting around my ankle. I looked up at him in horror. "WHO ARE YOU?" I demanded.  
  
"I'm called Magneto. I can help you," he stated.  
  
"Leave me alone!" I screamed at him trying to pull off the metal.  
  
"Jean!" someone yelled. It was Patrick. I turned to see Cat, Rev. Grey, Patrick and Amy running toward me.  
  
"No, stay back," I yelled but before my eyes the chairs came alive and encircled them. People started screaming and ran from the café.  
  
"Leave them alone!" I demanded.  
  
"You're really in no position to give orders, little princess," he stated with a sneer. "The future is ours. Humanity has persecuted us too long. It's our time!" he said and grabbed my wrist. I outstretched my hand and Magneto flew back from the invisible force.  
  
~ Scott~  
  
The cell phone rang interrupting Tabitha's and Logan's arguing. I picked it up and opened it.  
  
"Scott, Cerebro found her. Now listen carefully, she's finally used her powers. She's on a second avenue in the town of Oak Ridge. Hurry, I think Magneto has found her as well," the professor instructed.  
  
"Step on it Logan! We've found her!" I yelled. The car accelerated underneath me. I gave the information that the professor had given me. Logan let out a growl. My heart leapt in my chest. I lost her once and I swore I wouldn't lose her again. I would get to her and wrap my arms around her and never let her go.  
  
~Jean~  
  
The cold metal wrapped itself around my throat threatening to cut off my air supply at any moment.  
  
"I'm not going with you. I have a family here!" I screamed at him. I outstretched my hand and dishware and glasses flew at him.  
  
"Enough, foolish girl," he said and kicked me. The pain made my head spin and the plates and glasses fell to the floor harmlessly. The metal collar tightened. Dark spots appeared at the edges of my vision as my lungs screamed for air. No I will not give up, I couldn't! Not now when my life was beginning. I couldn't stand be taken again. Hold on Jean Amy's voice begged. I clawed at the collar trying to get air.  
  
"Settle down and it will loosen!" Magneto boomed. I closed my eyes and fought unconsciousness.  
  
"Jean!" some one yelled. I opened my eyes weakly. That voice! Could it be…  
  
"Scott?" I whispered before I was plunged into unconsciousness from lack of oxygen. 


	12. Together At Last

Title: Project Rapunzel  
  
Chapter: 12  
  
By: WebSpinner  
  
Notes: The last chapter people! Yay! Don't worry there probably will be an epilogue.  
  
Review please Review!  
  
~ Tabitha~  
  
"Leave her alone!" yelled Logan as he leapt from the car like a madman. Scott to unbuckle.  
  
"Scott don't be an idiot. You can't do anything. Call for backup, the old geezer is here," I said seriously. He winced and I knew that had to be a blow to his big manly ego. I paused for a moment. Great, I knew if I hung around Logan and Scott for too long I'd be turning into a stick in the mud too! I groaned softly but followed Logan hoping Scott wouldn't try to be a hero. Rule number one in my book. Never hang with someone's who's braver then you especially against a tin headed old guy who needed a new costumer designer. Seriously, I'm not Kitty Pryde or anything but the guy really needs to get a new look.  
  
"Stay here," I ordered Scott and jumped from the car to help Logan who was already having his hands full. Ok, question, am I the only who thinks a guy with metal running throughout his body should be the last person to go against the old tin head. The red haired girl which I assumed was the famous Jean laid motionless behind Magneto. "Oh you better not be pulling any damsel in distress crap," I mumbled under my breath and formed a handful of explosions.  
  
"Hey Bucket Head! Heads up!" I yelled and threw them straight at him. He dodged them easily giving Logan a chance to grab him.  
  
"Foolish mutant," Magneto growled.  
  
"Trix are for kids!" I chimed in. Magneto didn't pay attention to my joke and Logan looked ready to kill me like usual.  
  
"Sorry," I mumbled and threw some explosions above Magneto causing part of the café's roof to explode and rain down in splinters. Logan growled in protest trying to avoid the falling pieces while Magneto had his fingers around Logan's neck.  
  
"Boys take care of her," Magneto growled and from out of the bushes Avalanche and Toad appeared. Toad shot out his tongue and wrapped it around my ankle throwing me off balance.  
  
"Hey!" I yelled. Alright no more playing nice. I jumped up and charged the nearest one which happened to be Avalanche. The ground heaved trying to throw me off balance. I reached him in a couple of seconds.  
  
"Say goodnight Gracie," I said and threw a punch. It hit him squarely in the nose. "Ha you hit like a girl!" he sneered at me. I shrugged and kicked him in groin.  
  
"Yeah I guess I do," I said happily as he doubled over in pain.  
  
"Yo man you can't do that. That's just wrong," Toad stated looking shocked. "Just don't stand there, idiot," Avalanche moaned.  
  
"You stick that tongue out at me again and I'm going to tie it to a ceiling fan and turn it on," I threatened.  
  
"Get Jean, she's waking up," yelled Logan still trying to get away from Magneto's grip. True enough, the red head was stirring. She sat up and looked at us blankly.  
  
"Wow talk about a real hottie," Toad whistled. I ran toward her to feel Toad's tongue wrap around my ankles as it threw me face down into the mud. Frog boy was gonna die!  
  
~Scott~  
  
She's waking up! I heard it. Logan said it. For the millionth time I cursed my blindness. The others were on their way but Logan was having a rough time. You don't need sight to figure that out. I needed to get to her. Protect her unlike I didn't do before. I would die protecting and kill anyone who tried to take her away.  
  
Would you? a voice sounded inside my head. * yes * I thought.  
  
Why don't you go to her? the female voice asked. Ok you think I'd be used to this sort of stuff living with the professor but it still freaked me out. * I can't see her * I argued. The voice was silent for a moment.  
  
She's about ten feet to your right the voice told me. I felt my heart quicken as raised my head and felt for the car door handle. I got out easily and stood up and started walking. Your other right the voice yelled at me annoyed. * Ok, ok, * I thought. Hold on Jean I'm coming and when I get to you I won't let you go.  
  
~ Jean ~  
  
I couldn't take my eyes off him moving toward me like a ghost. I almost wondered if I was dead. I clawed at my metal collar trying to free myself. He moved slowly almost like an old man unsure of his steps. "Scott!" I managed to cry out. Tears was clouding my vision. I stretched out my arms toward him.  
  
~ Tabitha ~  
  
The idiot! And he's supposed to be our leader and he's doing something so incredibly stupid that it amazed even me. Toad grinned.  
  
"Let's have some fun yo," he said and spit out his tongue.  
  
"Jump!" I yelled. Scott obeyed me just as Toad's tongue reached his feet. It barely missed.  
  
"Hey," Toad protested. Toad leapt at Scott knocking him to the ground. The two rolled on the ground throwing punches.  
  
"NO, leave him alone!" Jean screamed.  
  
"My turn!" Avalanche said as folded his hands together and cracked his knuckles. I glared at him.  
  
"If you touch her I swear I will not go out with you Lance!" came a high pitched voice. Kitty phased through the café building followed by Blue. I could've kissed the fuzz ball if we weren't in the middle of a fight. Storm and Evan were already at work freeing the four-trapped people.  
  
"Hey Blue, nice for you to show up," I purred. He grinned and disappeared with his usual cloud of brim smoke. He appeared on Magneto's shoulders.  
  
"Get off, you furry mutant!" Magneto growled. Nightcrawler grinned and twisted Magneto's helmet blocking his vision. It was almost comical to see the old tin head with his helmet on backwards. But Magneto dropped Logan, which was probably what Nightcrawler had been counting on.  
  
"I'm offended, am I that furry?" Nightcrawler asked mock despair. Magneto righted his helmet. "Let's go boys, she's not worth it," he hissed as he glared down at Jean. The metal unwrapped itself. Jean glared right back and watched as Magneto floated away from view. Toad and Lance also went after their leader. "I'll see ya Friday, Lance," yelled out Shadow Cat and blew a kiss. Lance grinned as he followed Toad. Wolverine raised an eyebrow.  
  
"That's just not normal," he growled.  
  
~ Jean~  
  
I got up quickly and ran toward Scott as he picked himself from the ground where one the green little guy had tackled him. Already a bruise was beginning to form on his right chin.  
  
"SCOTT," I screamed and threw my arms around him causing us both to hit the ground. I felt like laughing uncontrollably.  
  
"I thought you were dead," I said and hugged him tightly.  
  
"I told you'd I'd never leave you. You don't have much faith in me," he said with a smile as he held me tightly. I brushed back the hair from his forehead.  
  
"Your eyes…they're green," I said with amazement. They were a deep forest green, much darker then my own emerald ones. He pulled me closer and kissed me. I felt like chocolate, warm and melting rapidly.  
  
"I'll never let you go again," he assured me. I stared down at him only just noticing that we had not gotten up.  
  
"Jean," he whispered my name and it sent shivers of pleasure up and down my spin. I have to be completely losing it. I rested my head on his chest.  
  
"Yes?" I asked.  
  
"I'm blind," he said.  
  
~ Scott~  
  
There I told her. Silence. She moved until our faces were barely inches from each other. I could feel her sweet breath on my face. More silence. The silence was killing me. Her hair tickled my ears and the corners of my face.  
  
"I'm sorry," she finally managed to say.  
  
"What for?" I asked almost guessing the answer. Tears hit my check. She was crying.  
  
"I got scared and I should've been able to warn you but I couldn't because I panicked," she sobbed over me. More tears hit my faces. I shifted uncomfortably crying always made me uncomfortable.  
  
"It's ok," I said and pulled her close allowing her to sob on my shirt. "I love you," she whispered.  
  
~ Kitty~  
  
This was like something out of one of those novels you get from the grocery stores. You know the ones, like, your teachers call trash and will give you an F if you try to do a book report on them. Well I mean it's like a romance novel except for all the stuff about them and us being mutants.  
  
"Gag me, I think I'm gonna hurl!" Evan said as he wrinkled his nose up in disgust.  
  
"Shut up, like, it's romantic," I told him and elbowed him in the ribs for good measure.  
  
"Oww kitty," he whined. 'Baby' I thought and glared at him.  
  
~ Scott ~  
  
We kissed again. She's still crying. I blinked trying to get some of the her tears out of my eyes. I don't know how exactly it happened but it started almost like a tiny pinprick. Like what happens when you squeeze your eyes too tightly together. Then it started getting bigger and colors drifted and swirled together. I blinked a couple of times trying to figure out what was going on. The lights and colors stopped moving and sharpened to reveal Jean. Bright green eyes stared down at me filled with tears. Hair the color of flame framed her face. This shouldn't be happening….  
  
~ Tabby~  
  
"Hey Blue, how 'bout after this you and me go out for some kicks," I purred in Kurt's ear. A yell happened and then a bright beam of red light appeared and hit the wall of the café. Scott had managed to turn his head away from Jean just in time before the optic blasts had come.  
  
"What the freakin' was that?" I yelled. Logan had already gotten out Scott's glasses.  
  
"I can see!" he yelled as he stood up. He pulled Jean and hugged her tight.  
  
"But how?" Storm asked as she watched the young swing the redhead around in his arms.  
  
~ Amy Grey~  
  
I hovered around my new daughter and glanced at the 'doctor' with something between fear and curiosity. I admit being around mutants, though only a few in my lifetime, has never bothered me. But this guy looked half ape and was covered with blue fur. I mean I think that would put anyone ill at ease. I secretly wondered if he and the elf boy were related. The man in the wheelchair that had been watching the examination of Scott Summers shook his head.  
  
"No Mrs. Grey they are not," Professor Xavier said with somewhat of a smile. I nodded. None of the students looked mostly curious at his statement. This kind of thing must go on a lot. Xavier nodded again.  
  
"From what I can tell it might have been a bump on the head but mostly likely it was when Jean cried. Her body was still carrying some of the chemicals that had been pumped into her and from what I can make of it those tears must have been the antidote," Beast told everyone.  
  
"Now Jean, if you'd like you can stay here and live with us. We'll help you control your powers," Xavier offered.  
  
~ Scott~  
  
Say yes. Say yes. I secretly prayed. Jean glanced from her newly adopted parents to her adopted grandparents. All four of them nodded and then she looked at me. I reached out and squeezed her hand.  
  
"Yes, Professor Xavier, I'd be honored," she said with a smile. I threw my arms around and kissed her ignoring the hoots from the younger X-men and the groans from Evan.  
  
"You're going to have to keep an eye on these two," Patrick Grey told Xavier and gave me a look that easily read –if–catch-you-touching-my- daughter-I'll-kill – you fatherly look. I grinned at him.  
  
"Don't worry," Xavier assured them and gave me the –you-better-behave-or- I'll-hand-you-over-to-Logan-for-training. I really do think I have better chance with her father.  
  
"Thank you," she whispered in to my shirt.  
  
"For what?" I asked.  
  
"For loving a mutant," she whispered.  
  
"Ditto" 


	13. There is hope ~ Epilogue

~ Epilogue ~  
  
  
  
~ Jean ~  
  
The football field stadiums were packed. How long had it been since I had sat here and cheered for Duncan and all the rest? I shook my newly acquired black hair thanks to a halowatch.  
  
"I knew you weren't ready," Scott said at my side as always.  
  
"Don't be such a stick in the mud, I can do this," I said. He nodded. His vision, after a month of treatment from Beast had returned to it's normal 20/20. It's still one of those things that I could not tell you why it happened. Mr. McCoy tried but he always mixes into much scientific things in it that only a genius could understand it. Finally he gave up. I don't really care. I stopped short as I caught sight of a familiar face.  
  
"He's here," I whispered. Scott squeezed my hand.  
  
"Who?"  
  
"My father."  
  
~Mr. Peterson ~  
  
I shouldn't have come. The usual pain hit me like a ton of breaks. The memories just break my heart. She would have been here. She would have been sitting beside me watching her friends graduating and wishing for her turn. Instead a dark haired girl with bright blue eyes sat down beside me followed by a young man with red shades. I noticed the sun glasses with mild curiosity. Teenagers these days sure did have strange fashions. Cyndi told me I shouldn't come. Maybe she was right. Jean was gone. So my wife immersed herself even deeper into her work. "Do you have someone graduating?" the girl asked pulling me out of my thoughts. I stared at her blankly before shaking my head no. "Why not?" she asked. I stared at her with shock. "I had a daughter if she was here would be watching her friends graduate," I said. The young man tried to pull away the girl but she stubbornly refused to move. "Where is she?" she asked. Nosey thing, this girl. "Gone"  
  
"Oh" Silence. Blessed silence. "Do you miss her?" she asked. "More then anything," I said. "And her mother?" the girl asked. I shook my head. "She's buried in her work. It's her own way to forget," I said. It was true. Cynthia says what we did was right. Science would cure Jean. Yet the begging eyes of my little girl still haunts me in my sleep. I closed my eyes and shook my head to erase the picture of my daughter. I opened them again. The couple was gone. A white envelope was all that was left. I picked it up and opened it. I scanned the short message.  
  
I forgive you.  
  
I miss you.  
  
I love you, Daddy  
  
Jean  
  
I sighed and felt as if the wait of the world had been lifted from my shoulders. Could the couple have possibly none her? I didn't know. The message had been so short. Was she happy?  
  
"Yes she is" came a voice. I turned to see a hair of flame and cat like green eyes. "Jean!"  
  
~ Scott ~  
  
Her father was crying as he embraced her. The hatred I had felt for this man for betraying his daughter melted instantly. Jean morphed back into the sultry black haired girl.  
  
"I love you Daddy," she said crying too. They broke out of their embrace as the graduation melody of Pomp and Circumstance started to play. So began the graduation of West Ridge High.  
  
~ Jean~  
  
Our principal is still a windbag. I stifled a yawn as I sat between my father and Scott. Daddy wouldn't tell my mother. I knew he wouldn't. Not yet. She'd make me go back to fix me. I didn't need fixed for I was happy. I scanned my eyes over the crowd. Cookie was beaming in all her glory. Duncan had been apparently held back. This piece of information pleased me. And there was Diana. Sweet, sassy Diana who had stayed me till they dragged me away. She got up to the podium to speak. "Fellow classmates of West Ridge High. We have finally made it," a cheer rose up from the seniors as well as a couple beach balls that our principal was trying to capture and making a complete fool of himself in the process. I grinned.  
  
"Now comes time that I am forced to give a speech to enlightened all of you when 12 years of school couldn't. We have worked hard and played hard. But it's time we must live hard. We are going out in the real world now. The real issue is what are we going to do? You hear everyone cry out against racism and the hate and discrimination that goes with it. But our generation is faced with another factor. Mutation. Mutation which there is no cure and in my opinion none needed. They are different, so what! Treat others as you want to be treated, black, white, mutated or normal. We are living in changing times and we must embrace the qualities that make us unique. Only then can we come together as one people of one nation of one world. Thank you.," she said. The crowd remained silent. No one cheered or clapped as Diana Ryan took her seat.  
  
"With young people like that, I do believe there is hope for humanity after all," mused the professor. I nodded. The future did look brighter. One day we wouldn't be forced to hide our gifts. But until then I am content to be by he who loves me and friends that care for me.  
  
  
  
Together we will protect humanity until they are ready for us.  
  
Together we will make a difference.  
  
Together we are the X-men.  
  
The End. 


End file.
